Device for cleaning bolting-cloths.



No. 831,112. PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

' G. H. SHULER.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING BOLTING OLOTHSL APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1905.

nu: Nmmls PnsRs cm, WASHINGTON, o. c

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING BOLTING-CL OTHS Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed March 25, 1905. Serial No, 251,959.

, ing Bolting-Cloths, of which the following,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for operating brushes for cleaning bolting-cloths.

These bolting-cloths or sieves areusually mounted in a horizontal position in a suitable supporting-frame to be oscillated or vibrated back and forth in any well-known manner for the purpose of agitating the meal or flour which is fed upon the bolting-cloth. The bolting screen or sieve is of course more or less flexible, and therefore in operation sags more or less unevenly, and in order to maintain as large an active surface as possible it is necessary to have the cleaning-brush contact with substantially the entire under surface of the screen or bolting-cloth. 7

My object therefore is to provide thebolting-mill with a brush-carrier having a reciprocatory action on rigid ways lengthwise and at the under side of the bolting-cloth and to effect such reciprocal action by means of an endless conveyer moving continuously in one direction in combination with suitable pawls and tripping devices operating automatically to connect the brush-frame to and disconnect it from the endless conveyer. In other words, my purpose is to provide a brush extending transversely and across and in engagement with the under side of the boltingcloth and to move said brush longitudinally in opposite directions from one end of the bolting-cloth to the other by means of an endless conveyer.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a portion of a bolting-mill embodying the features of my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a horizontal sectional view and a vertical sectional view taken on lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the brush-carrier and its supporting frame, showing particularly the tripping means for disconnecting the brush-carriage from the endless conveyer. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the means for oscillating the frame.

This cleaning device is to be used in connection with a substantially horizontal bolting-cloth 1, which is stretched tightly across and secured to the under side of a suitable supporting-frame 2. This supporting-frame is preferably rectangular in top plan and is removably supported in a suitable casing 3 upon ledges 4. The casing 3 is adapted to receive the material to be bolted and is in the present case rectangular in top plan and may be vibrated or oscillated in any well-known manner not necessary to herein illustrate or describe, as the means for agitating the frame or casing forms no part of my present invention, which is confined to the means hereinafter described for cleaning the bolting-cloth.

This cleaning device consists, essentially, of a brush 5, which is fixed in a suitable sliding frame or carriage 6 and is reciprocated along the under side of the bolting-cloth and upon suitable ways 7 by means of an endless conveyer 8 and suitable gripping and tripping devices presently described.

The bo'ltingcloth 1 is disposed in a horizontal position some distance below the upper edge of the casing 3 and has substantially the same horizontal area as the similar area of the interior of the casing and normally rests upon the cleats or ledges 4, which are secured to the ends of said casing, so as to leave a clear open space transversely substantially the full width of the bolting-cloth upon which the brush may act, thereby increasing the bolting capacity of the machine to the full limit of the capacity of the casing.

The ways 7 extend longitudinally of and project a slight distance inwardly from the sides of thecasing in a plane beneath and substantially parallel with the screen, said ways running substantially the entire length of the casing to receive and support the sliding brush-carriage 6 This carriage consists of a horizontally-disposed frame which eX- tends transversely of and within the casing 3 and has its opposite ends resting upon the upper faces of the ways 7, said brush-supporting frame being comparatively narrow longitudinally, so as to allow the brush to be moved longitudinally of the casing between and in close proximity to the ends of said casing.

The brush 5 is rigidly secured in a transverse groove 9 in a central transverse bar of the carriage 6 and projects upwardly from said carriage into contact with the under surface of the bolting-cloth, said brush being of substantially the same transverse width asthe bolting-cloth or screen.

The endless conveyer 8 is disposed in a and has its opposite ends mounted upon suitable pulleys 10, which are journaled in upright bearing 11 at the outer ends of the cas' ing 3. This conveyer is driven in the direction indicatedby arrows at, Fig. 2, by any suitable power=which may-be applied to one or the other of the upright shafts which supportsone of the pulleys 10, the means-for driving -said shaft not being necessary to herein illustrate or describe, because it forms n01 part of my present invention.

The belt or conveyor 8 travels through suitable openings 11 in the ends of the case 8 and isprovided on its top edge with an abutment 12,-formed' by cutting away a portion of the belt ina diagonal line, leaving one of the cutaway portions abrupt or vertical, at which point a metal plate 13 is secured to the belt to reinforce the abutment, which faces in the direction of the movement of the belt.

The carriage 6 is provided with a pair of pawls 14, which are pivoted at one end upon transverse bolts'15, there being one of these pawls directly over eachside of the belt 8, and=the free ends of each-pawl are provided with a'tooth 16,'which-normally rides upon the top edge of thebelt to engage the abutments 12 as often as it is presented to the tooth of one of the pawls.

It is now seen-that as the conveyer 8 continues-to move-inthe direction indicatedby the -arrows a'the abutment 12 will first engage one ofthe pawls14-to move the carriage 6 toward one end of the casing, at whichendthe pawl is tripped automatically out of engagement with the abutment 12, thereby allowing the abutment to move under the pawl and-around the pulley l0,where it engages the other, pawl and causes the carriage to move in the opposite direction to the other end of the case, where said other pawl is tripped, andallows the abutment to travel around to engage the first-named pawl to repeat the action just described. This trippin of the pa wlsis effected by providing each en of-the case with "a cam-track 18,- which extends-along the adjacent side of the belt a limited distance and is engaged by aprojectionl9'on each pawl 14 as the carriage approaches each cam, thereby releasing the pawl from engagement with the abutment 12.

Itwill be observed that the carria e 6 rests upon the fixed ways 7 and holds t e brush positively in engagement with the under side of the sieve or bolting-cloth 1 throughout its entire'transversewidth and thatthis contact of the brushwith the sieve is maintained as the carriage 6 is moved back and forth from end to end of the casing 3. It will also beobserved that as the carriage apbevel-gears 0.

preaches each end of the casing the arm 19 rides upon the cam 18, and thereby trips the pawl 14 from engagement with the abutment 12, this 1 operation being repeated at each end of the bolting-cloth.

Any suitable means may be employed for oscillating the frame 3 from side to side, and

for this purpose I utilize one of the upright shafts, as a, as a driving-shaft for driving a horizontal shaft 1) through the medium of This horizontal shaft hextends lengthwise of the frame 3 and has at its opposite end-aneccentric d, which is connected by a link etoa swiveled head f on the free end of the frame 3, so as'to cause-the frame to oscillate on the shaft or axis a. The end of the shaft 1) opposite to the upright shaft (1 is journaled in a suitable bearing g and is carried by a roller-bearing h.

In operation the belt 8 and shaft]; are driven from the same source, the belt operating the brush 5 back and forth in the manner described,while=the shaftb serves-to oscillate the frame from side to side simultaneously with the movement of the brush, and'I believe that I am the first to simultaneously operate a brush onan oscillating frame.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. A device of the class described comprising an oscillatory support and bolting cloth mounted thereon, a carriage slid'able on'the support, a brush on the carriage in traveling contact with the'bolting-cloth, anendless belt and supporting-pulleys therefor, the axis of one of thepulleys being coincident with the swinging axis of the oscillatory-support, a shoulder-on thebelt, pawlson the carriage, one for each oppositely-traveling side of the beltand eachalternately engaged by the shoulder on said belt'for-moving the carriage in opposite directions, and cams, one at each end of the oscillatory support for tripping said pawls, and means'for oscillating said support.

2. A device of the class described comprising an oscillatory support pivoted at one end, means connected to the opposite end of-the support to oscillate the same upon its pivot, a bolting-cloth mounted on the support,-a carriageslidable lengthwise of the support'and provided with a brush intraveling contact with "the bolting-cloth, a pulleyhavin its axis coincident withtheswinging axis '0 the support, a second pulley mounted on the opposite end of the support, a belt mounted on the pulleys and provided with a shoulder, pawls on the carriage, one for-each oppositely-traveling side ofthe belt and each engaged by the shoulder on-said'belt to move the carriage in opposite directions, and cams, one at each end of the support for tripping said pawls.

3. In a device of the class described, a T0- IIO tary vertical shaft, a horizontally-swinging support having one end pivotally mounted upon the shaft, a pulley on said shaft, a second pulley on the opposite end of the support, an endless belt connecting said pulleys, a bolting-cloth on the support, a carriage slidable lengthwise upon the support and provided with a brush in traveling contact with the bolting-cloth, pawls on the carriage, one for each oppositely-traveling side of the belt, a shoulder on the belt for successively engaging said pawls and moving the carriage in opposite directions, cams, one at each end of the support for engaging and tripping said pawls, and means actuated by the vertical shaft for oscillating the support.

4. In a device of the class described, a rotary vertical shaft, a horizontally-swinging support pivotally mounted at one end upon the shaft, a pulley on the shaft, a second pulley mounted upon the opposite end of the support, a belt connecting said pulleys, a bolting-cloth mounted on the support above the belt, a carriage slidable lengthwise upon the support and provided with a brush in traveling contact with the under side of the bolting-cloth, pawls on the carriage, one for each oppositely-traveling side of the bolt, a shoulder on the belt successively engaging said pawls for moving the carriage in opposite directions, separate devices, one at each end of the support for tripping said pawls and connections between the vertical shaft and opposite end of the support for oscillating said support.

5. In a device of the class described, a rectangular oscillatory supporting-frame hinged at one end, means to oscillate said frame upon its swingin axis, a bolting-cloth mounted on said frame, a sliding carriage also mounted on the frame and provided with a brush in traveling contact with the under side of the bolting-cloth, a pulley mounted on the frame, a belt traveling around said pulley and having its oppositelytraveling sides extending lengthwise of the frame in proximity to the carriage, awls on the carriage, one for each oppositely-traveling side of the belt, a shoulder on the belt successively engaging said pawls, and cams, one at each end of the frame for engaging and tripping said pawls.

6. In a device of the character described, a belt and its supporting-pulleys, a boltingcloth support pivoted to and vibrating from the axis of one of the pulleys, and a cleaningbrush actuated back and forth against the bolting-cloth by said belt, and means to vibrate said support.

7. In a device for cleaning bolting-cloths, a belt and its supporting-pillleys, in combination with a vibrating support for the bolting cloth pivoted to and swinging on the axis of one of said pulleys, a cleaning-brush mounted on the support to vibrate therewith, means actuated by oppositely-moving sides of the belt for moving the brush back and forth along the bolting-cloth, and additional means for vibrating said support.

8. In a device of the character described, a vibratory casing and bolting-cloth therein, a cleansing-brush support slidable in the easing and along the bolting-cloth, a belt and supporting-pulleys therefor, said casing being pivoted to and. vibrating on the axis of one of the pulleys, the other pulley being mounted upon the casing and together with the belt vibrating with said casing, means actuated by the belt for sliding the brushsupport, back and forth along the bolting- 8o cloth, and additional means for vibrating the casing.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of March, 1905.

GEORGE H. SHULER.

WVitnesses:

CHARLES T. ENNIs, M. A. I\IAIIANY. 

